RT-PCR: Amplifying from an RNA Template

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Reverse transcriptase PCR first converts an RNA template into complementary DNA, then amplifies that DNA with ordinary PCR.

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Reverse transcriptase builds a cDNA strand from an mRNA template before the PCR cycle of amplification begins.

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RT-PCR's first step is reverse transcription, a distinct reaction from PCR itself — PCR only begins once cDNA already exists.

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